HSPT

An analogy compares two pairs of words that share the same relationship. HSPT analogies give one complete pair and the first word of a second pair: Finger is to hand as toe is to ____. Your task is to find the word that completes the second pair so that it matches the relationship in the first pair, in the same order.

Build a Bridge Sentence

The most reliable method is to state the relationship in a short, specific sentence, called a bridge, and then test each choice in that sentence.

➜

➜

➜

Doctor : hospital

"A doctor works in a hospital."

"A chef works in a ____."

kitchen

If more than one choice fits, the bridge is too general. "A doctor is found in a hospital" might fit several choices; "a doctor works in a hospital" narrows it. Make the bridge more specific until only one choice fits.

Common Analogy Relationships

Part to whole

A is one part of B

finger : hand :: toe : foot; page : book :: brick : wall; petal : flower :: feather : bird; rung : ladder :: step : staircase

Whole to part

A is made up of B

orchestra : musician :: team : player; fleet : ship :: flock : bird; herd : cow :: school : fish; archipelago : island :: range : mountain

Member to group

Many A form a B

star : constellation :: bone : skeleton; card : deck :: flower : bouquet; singer : choir :: soldier : army

Cause and effect

A causes or leads to B

fire : smoke :: virus : illness; heat : melting :: cold : freezing; practice : improvement :: neglect : decay

Object to function

A is used to B

pen : write :: knife : cut; broom : sweep :: scale : weigh; thermometer : temperature :: ruler : length

Worker to tool

A uses B

carpenter : hammer :: surgeon : scalpel; sculptor : chisel :: tailor : needle; astronomer : telescope :: photographer : camera

Worker to workplace

A works in B

teacher : school :: nurse : hospital; chef : kitchen :: mechanic : garage; judge : courtroom :: miner : mine

Worker to product

A creates B

author : novel :: composer : symphony; baker : bread :: architect : blueprint; poet : poem :: playwright : play

Synonym

A means the same as B

happy : joyful :: brave : courageous; begin : start :: end : finish; rich : wealthy :: poor : impoverished

Antonym

A is the opposite of B

hot : cold :: wet : dry; strong : weak :: hard : soft; generous : stingy :: humble : proud

Degree or intensity

A is a stronger or weaker form of B

warm : hot :: cool : cold; annoyed : furious :: pleased : ecstatic; damp : soaked :: whisper : shout; tired : exhausted :: hungry : starving

Type or category

A is a kind of B

rose : flower :: oak : tree; sonnet : poem :: tragedy : play; violin : instrument :: hammer : tool

Characteristic

A is typically B

sugar : sweet :: lemon : sour; feather : light :: lead : heavy; sandpaper : rough :: silk : smooth

Sequence

A comes before B

seed : plant :: caterpillar : butterfly; dawn : noon :: dusk : midnight; letter : word :: word : sentence

Location

A is found in B

fish : water :: oasis : desert; artifact : museum :: book : library; island : ocean :: brain : skull

Material

A is made from B

paper : wood :: glass : sand; cheese : milk :: butter : cream; steel : iron :: ceramic : clay

Action to performer

A is done by B

bark : dog :: meow : cat; prescribe : doctor :: defend : lawyer; conduct : conductor :: invent : inventor

Relationship	Bridge	Examples
Symbol	ArepresentsB	dove:peace::scale:justice;flag:country::logo:company;
		crown:royalty::badge:authority
Youngtoadult	AisayoungB	puppy:dog::kitten:cat;foal:horse::calf:cow;cub:bear::
		fawn:deer
SAMPLE ANALOGY QUE	STION
Sculptoristochiselassurgeonisto A hospital C patient		B scalpel D operation

Scalpel. Bridge: "A sculptor uses a chisel as the main cutting tool of the job." A surgeon uses a scalpel. Hospital is a workplace, patient is the person served, and operation is the task: each is related to a surgeon, but none completes the same relationship.

Strategies for Analogy Questions

Keep the order

If the first pair moves from whole to part, the second must also move from whole to part. Tree : branch :: book : chapter keeps the order; tree : branch :: chapter : book reverses it.

Distinguish similar relationships

A synonym pair is not the same as a degree pair. Warm and hot differ by intensity; big and large mean the same thing.

Check the part of speech

If the first pair is noun : verb (pen : write), the answer usually completes a noun : verb pair as well (scissors : cut).

Beware of topic traps

A choice that belongs to the same topic as the second word (hospital in a surgeon question) is often a distractor. The relationship, not the topic, must match.

Verbal Logic

HSPT verbal logic questions present three statements. You are told that the first two are true and must decide whether the third is true, false, or uncertain. These are the only Verbal Skills questions with three answer choices, and they reward careful reasoning from the given statements alone: outside knowledge does not count.

True

False

Uncertain

The first two statements prove the

The first two statements prove the

The first two statements do not settle it

third.

third is wrong.

either way.

Ordering and Comparison Chains

Most HSPT logic questions compare people or objects by height, age, speed, price, or position. Place each item on a simple line as you read, with the greatest at one end. A comparison is true or false only if both items sit on the same connected chain; if the statements never link the two items, the answer is uncertain.

All, Some, and No Statements (Syllogisms)

A syllogism draws a conclusion from two premises. Venn diagrams make the relationships visible: draw one circle for each group and place each circle according to the statement.

Premises	Result	Why
All dogs are animals . Rover is a dog . → Rover is an	True	Roverisinsidethedogcircle whichisinsidethe ,
animal .		animalcircle .
No birds are mammals . A robin is a bird . → A robin is a	False	Everybirdisoutsidethemammalcircle .
mammal .
All cats have tails . Milo has a tail . → Milo is a cat .	Uncertain	Otheranimalshavetailstoo;beinginthelargercircle
		doesnotplaceMilointhesmallerone .
Some flowers are red . Some red things are apples . →	Uncertain	Thetwo"some"overlapsmaynottoucheachother .
Someflowersareapples .
Allsquaresarerectangles Allrectangleshavefour .	True	Nested circles: squares inside rectangles inside four-
sides . → All squares have four sides .		sidedfigures .

If-Then Statements

Conditional statements follow fixed rules. Given "If it rains, the ground gets wet," only two conclusions are guaranteed: rain means wet ground, and dry ground means no rain. Reversing or negating the statement produces a conclusion that is not guaranteed.

Form	Example	Valid?
Affirmthe"if"part	It is raining The ground is wet . → .	Valid(true)
Denythe"then"part	The ground is not wet It is not raining . → .	Valid(true)
Affirmthe"then"part	The ground is wet It rained . → .	Notvalid(uncertain):asprinklercouldwet
		theground
Denythe"if"part	It is not raining The ground is not wet . → .	Notvalid(uncertain):thegroundcouldbe
		wetforanotherreason

Rule	Result
AllAareB andCisanA ,	CisB(true)
AllAareB andCisaB ,	CmightormightnotbeA(uncertain)
NoAareB andCisanA ,	CisnotB(true)
SomeAareB andCisanA ,	CmightormightnotbeB(uncertain)
A>BandB>C	A>C(true)
A=BandB=C	A=C(true)
A>BandC>B	AandCcannotbecompared(uncertain)

Answer from the statements, not from real life. If the statements say "All fish can fly," treat that as true for the question. Also watch for position words: left of, north of, more expensive than, and fewer than all create chains, and a single reversed word turns a true conclusion into a false one.